1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of hair extensions and hair extension mounting methods. More specifically the present invention relates to a method of mounting what is known generally in the industry as a “hair extension”, and is more descriptively referred to in this application as a hairpiece. The hairpiece includes a hairpiece strip of flexible sheet material known as a “polystrip” and having an upwardly opening central strip fold and hairpiece hair strands secured to the strip and extending laterally outward from the strip substantially perpendicular to the strip fold.
The method includes the steps of parting wearer hair along a part line having an upper side and a lower side; placing the strip against the part line so that the strip fold extends substantially parallel to and over the part line; piercing the strip at the strip fold with a piercing hook instrument, which preferably is a hook pin as described in this application, to form a first hair port substantially at the strip fold; hooking a first upper hair bundle from wearer hair on an upper side of the part line; hooking a first lower hair bundle from wearer hair on the lower side of the part line; drawing the first upper and first lower hair bundles outwardly from the scalp, and through the first hair port; combining the first upper and first lower hair bundles into a first combined bundle; piercing the strip at the strip fold with a piercing hook instrument to form a second hair port substantially at the fold and spaced, i.e. 5 millimeters, along the fold from the first hair port; hooking a second upper hair bundle from wearer hair on the upper side of the part line; hooking a second lower hair bundle from wearer hair on the lower side of the part line; drawing the second upper and lower hair bundles outwardly from the scalp through the first hair port; combining the second upper and second lower hair bundles into a second combined bundle; fitting the first and second combined bundles through the anchor tube and sliding the anchor tube along the first and second combined bundles into close proximity with the hairpiece strip; looping the collective free ends of the first and second combined bundles back through the anchor tube; tying the first and second combined bundles to the anchor tube; and crimping the anchor tube into a flattened configuration to engagingly grip the first and second combined bundles and thereby secure the hairpiece strip in close proximity to the wearer scalp and substantially against the wearer hair; and folding the wearer hair to close the part and to close the hairpiece along the strip fold. A spaced series of anchor tubes preferably are secured according to this method along the strip fold to anchor the full length of the strip. The method preferably additionally includes steps to adjust the proximity of the hairpiece relative to the wearer scalp periodically to compensate for hairpiece outward displacement as wearer hair grows.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There have long been hairpieces in the form of hair extensions for filling out thinning hair. These have been attached to the wearer hair with in ways which cause hair damage and do not permit removal and repositioning as wearer hair grows.
It is thus an object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for securing a hairpiece and specifically a strip hairpiece to wearer hair which is much faster than prior methods and which is painless.
It is another object of the present invention to provide such a method and apparatus for securing a strip hairpiece to wearer hair which permits readjustment of hairpiece anchoring means and thus readjustment of the hairpiece relative to a wearer scalp as wearer hair grows without hairpiece removal.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide such a method and apparatus which permits adjustment of the tightness of the hairpiece against the wearer scalp to meet the comfort, hair condition and style needs of the individual wearer.
It is finally an object of the present invention to provide such a method which can be practiced with minimal training and to provide such an apparatus for use with the method which is durable, reliable, safe and inexpensive to manufacture.